Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer is sometimes called the 13th or forgotten constellation of the zodiac. That’s because the sun passes in front of Ophiuchus from about November 30 to December 18 each year. And yet no one ever says they’re born when the sun is in Ophiuchus.
Ophiuchus is a constellation – not a sign – of the zodiac.
What are astrological signs? The 12 signs of the tropical zodiac represent equally-sized, 30-degree divisions of the sky. That’s why, for example, the sun resides in front of each zodiacal sign for a precise interval, about a month. Meanwhile, the sun is in front of the constellations for varying amounts of time, for example, in front of the constellation Virgo for about 1 1/2 months and in front of constellation Scorpius for about a week.
What are astronomical constellations? The ancient stargazers picked out patterns among the stars, named them, and associated them with legends and myths. Early in the 20th century, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) agreed on official constellation borders. The constellations vary in size and have many different shapes. The constellations of the zodiac are those in which the sun – and moon and planets – all travel. For as long as anyone can remember, we’ve had 12 constellations of the zodiac. Their names are the same (approximately) as the 12 signs of the zodiac.
If include Ophiuchus – which also holds the sun within its borders for part of every year, too – there are 13 constellations of the zodiac.
You can see Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer on these July nights. Its stars are faint, and you’ll need a dark sky. Look for Ophiuchus in the south at nightfall from the Northern Hemisphere. From the Southern Hemisphere, look more overhead around mid-evening.
The bright red star Antares in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion can help you find Ophiuchus. Look for Ophiuchus a short hop to the north of Antares.
Ophiuchus’ brightest star – the 2nd-magnitude star called Rasalhague – highlights the head of Ophiuchus. See Rasalhague in the Ophiuchus chart below. Rasalhague is nowhere near as bright as Antares, though.
On sky maps, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer is depicted as holding Serpens the Serpent, which is considered a separate constellation. According to ancient Greek star lore, Ophiuchus is Asclepius, the physician who concocted a healing potion from the Serpent’s venom, mixing it with the Gorgon’s blood and an unknown herb. This potion gave humans access to immortality, until the god of the underworld appealed to Zeus to reconsider the ramifications of the death of death.
Even today, the Staff of Asclepius – the symbol of the World Heath Organization – pays tribute to the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
Bottom line: Will you see faint Ophiuchus, the overlooked zodiacal constellation, tonight?
Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. He's a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York.
If you were born somewhere between November 30 and December 18, chances are the sun was in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. Therefore, your “sign” should be Ophiuchus. But, of course, Ophiuchus is not an official constellation of the zodiac, nor will you find it in horoscopes.
Ophiuchus contains the second closest star to Earth — Barnard's Star — about 6 light-years away. The red dwarf star is a magnitude 9.5, making it a challenge to find with the naked eye. Delineating the head of Ophiuchus, Alpha Ophiuchi is an A-type giant.
That said, some still choose to recognize Ophiuchus as the 13th zodiac sign and, because it is rarely used in the world of astrology, it is also believed to be the second rarest zodiac sign.
In 1970, Steven Schmidt in his Astrology 14 advocated a 14-sign zodiac, introducing Ophiuchus (December 6 to December 31) and Cetus (May 12 to June 6) as new signs.
The constellation of Ophiuchus is usually associated with the Greek legend of Asclepius, a physician who was later worshipped as a god of medicine. It is said that Asclepius was so talented at the art of healing that he could bring the dead back to life, a skill that he learned from a snake.
In the Northern Hemisphere's spring and summer months, when Ophiuchus is normally visible in the night sky, the constellation is actually not visible, because the midnight sun obscures the stars at those times and places in the Arctic.
Early Greek legend held that Ophiuchus depicted Apollo fighting a gigantic snake, represented by the constellation Serpens. Later Greek and Roman myths identified Ophiuchus as Asclepius, a healer and son of Apollo and Coronis. Asclepius became so good at healing that he was able to raise the dead.
There are actually thirteen, and the forgotten constellation is named Ophiuchus, which means serpent-bearer. Ophiuchus, also known as Imhotep in Ancient Egypt and Asclepius in Greece, was made to honor doctors. He was the son of the god Apollo and Coronis, a mortal princess.
Ophiuchus is compatible with Pisces, Aries, Cancer, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. A Pisces has the energy and stamina to keep up best with an Ophiuchus. Aries and Cancers, too, tend to be able to match Ophiuchans' sense of adventure, as well as their ability to smooth over conflicts.
Based on both of these sources, here's a statistically-backed ranking of the rarest zodiac signs (going from rarest to least rare): 1st (rarest): Aquarius. 2nd: Aries. 3rd: Capricorn.
And according to the CDC's annual U.S. population report, the month with the least number of births in 2022 was February. And that can only mean one thing: The rarest zodiac sign is none other than Aquarius.
Ophiuchus is compatible with Pisces, Aries, Cancer, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. A Pisces has the energy and stamina to keep up best with an Ophiuchus. Aries and Cancers, too, tend to be able to match Ophiuchans' sense of adventure, as well as their ability to smooth over conflicts.
Cetus is not among the 12 true zodiac constellations in the J2000 epoch, nor classical 12-part zodiac. The ecliptic passes less than 0.25° from one of its corners.
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